Question

A honey bee colony contains one queen, hundreds of drones, and many thousands of worker bees. The queen produces eggs, the drones produce sperm, and the workers are sterile. Explain how the reproductive strategy of honey bees benefits the survival of the species. (credit: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

a. The fertile queen and drones produce many offspring while sterile worker bees do not benefit the survival of the species.

b. Worker bees produce many offspring while the sterile queen and drones do not benefit the survival of the species.

c. The sterile queen and drones use the energy taken in by them for their own growth, growth and maintenance of the hive, and protection and nurturing of offspring.

d. Sterile worker bees use the energy taken in by them for their own growth, growth and maintenance of the hive, and protection and nurturing of offspring.

Answer 1

The reproductive strategy of honey bees benefits the survival of the species by having the fertile queen and drones produce many offspring, while the sterile worker bees take care of the hive and the queen's offspring through kin selection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reproductive strategy of honey bees benefits the survival of the species by having the fertile queen and drones produce many offspring, while the sterile worker bees dedicate their energy to the growth, maintenance, protection, and nurturing of the hive and the queen's offspring. The activities of social insects, like bees, are guided by kin selection. Sterile worker bees closely related to the queen maintain her without having a direct chance of passing on their own genes, but they indirectly pass on their genes through the queen's offspring.